Top 10 cult music bands

Cult music bands are known in particular for their gala live performances and tours. Great cult bands have always paved the way for generations to come with their music and have also expelled their charisma to the world in many ways. Trying to think of a top ten from so many great cult bands down the years is very difficult as the list could just as easily be a top 100 or even a top 500 to fit all the great bands from the past and the present.

10. The Byrds:

The Byrds are considered as one of the most influential rock groups of the 60s. The cult music band was formed in 1964 and has played a vital role in giving shape to genres like psychedelic rock, country rock and was a fresh change from the British invasion of Folk rock bands. The band’s lineup was a constant dynamic throughout their existence and this could also be one of the reasons behind the band delving into so many different styles of music.

The Grateful Dead are one of rock music’s most influential artists of all time. The cult music band had a mix of a lot of different genres of music into their own new brand of rock. The music that this band has made is highly experimental and is hard to match even today. The band was active for around 30 years and had a very few lineup issues. This band is also sometimes overlooked by many new rock fans as their music becomes too complex for some listeners to even comprehend.

The Velvet Underground was an iconic cult music band that is widely underrated by many. The band is highly known for their unique blend of rock music, formed in 1964, the band has sold a lot of copies post their active years too. The popular saying that goes around in rock circles is that every single person who brought the first issue of the band’s first album went on to form a rock band themselves.

The Ramones are often credited to being the originators of the punk rock genre. Formed in 1974, the cult music band toured extensively throughout their 22 year career playing shows all over the world. The band did not receive any major success initially as their music was well received but not big in ways. However over the years the importance of their contribution to punk rock has been acknowledged and they are known as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

U2 is a band hailing from Dublin in Ireland and is one of the most successful and cult music bands of all time. The band was formed when the members were in their teens in 1976 and the group has managed to stay together for a really long time. One of rock music’s fairytales the band is also well known now for their philanthropic interests and they also do a lot of shows to raise money for social causes. All in all, the band has won more than 20 Grammy awards and has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide.

The Who were formed in 1964 and hail out of England. The cult music band is most well known for their destructive and yet energetic live acts. The band has played many live shows all around the world and is also widely acknowledged as the greatest live rock acts of all time.

The Doors were a highly controversial American rock group who formed in the year 1965. The cult music band had their own blend of blues, psychedelic, acid rock with a lot of touches of hard rock which is a popular blend among all rock fans. The band is perhaps most well known for their charismatic frontman Jim Morrison who died at an early age of 27. The manner in which the band has managed to captivate live audiences with their enthralling live shows will never be forgotten.

The music of Bob Marley is music that represents struggle and the voice of the struggling through the music. The music came widely influenced from issues that Marley had faced in his homeland Jamaica and is on a different level entirely. Although more of a reggae artist, he was also known for his blend of rock music with his group that was known as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

The Rolling Stones are easily one of the most well known cult music bands of all time. They were an English rock band that was formed in London in the year 1962. The Stones are among the most successful rock acts of all time. They are also one of the longest surviving rock acts of all time as they are active even in the present times. The band’s success comes from their heady mix of rock, rock n roll, blues and even rhythm and blues which is otherwise known as r’n’b. They have influenced many generations of music lovers and are an inspiration to many more even today.

One name is synonymous with cult music more than any other name; The Beatles were formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. The music band was active for only ten years but has managed to shape music to come for generations even from today. Almost a household name in rock music, the band’s music is a mix of folk rock and rock and roll. The largest selling music band in history, the band holds numerous records and their craze was known as Beatlemania which became a widely popular cultural, social and artistic phenomenon.